


Strangely Regular

by seaquestions



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Pining, Roommates, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-07 22:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20824856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seaquestions/pseuds/seaquestions
Summary: Following his release from prison, Starscream moves in with Wheeljack.(It's nice, but he wishes he could do a little more.)





	Strangely Regular

Never in his entire functioning did Starscream ever expect to settle into such a cozy routine. But here he was. Making dinner for his roommate.

“Wheeljack! Get up here and eat!”

The mech in question was, of course, cooped up in his lab downstairs, working on whatever project the government had in store for him. Starscream wasn't _technically_ allowed to know. He always found out anyway. It was nothing important, though. He assumed that the actual Top Secret Government Projects were hidden away elsewhere.

But who knows? Maybe there weren't any. Starscream wasn't about to subscribe to the belief that there was _nothing_ shady going on… but for the most part Chancellor Windblade and company have been mainly focusing on making Cybertron a nicer place to live.

And it showed, certainly. Cybertron had never been so _green_ before. His release from prison had been a truly jarring experience. Iacon Square had trees, now, and a fountain. It was as beautiful as it was weird.

But he'd gotten used to it, eventually. Just as he had gotten used to living with Wheeljack. Speaking of…

“Hey! You're really gettin' the hang of that machine, huh? Smells good in here.”

Wheeljack popped his helm into the kitchen area with a grin in his eyes. 

“It's not like it's hard.” Starscream scoffed, placing two plates of food on the dinner table, “You just press a few buttons.”

“Yeah, well,” Wheeljack said, sitting down. “Ya wouldn't believe how many people have managed to frag that up somehow. I gotta make a more user-friendly version at some point.”

Starscream blinked, turned to look at the energon processing machine, then back at Wheeljack.

“How much more user-friendly does it need to _be_? It's literally the more straightforward device I've ever encountered,” he said, sneering.

“Heh, thanks!” Wheeljack reached up to unclasp his facemask. “But if someone has a problem, I can't just not fix it. Y'know what I mean?”

Starscream sat down at the table, turning off his optics, like he did every night. He then heard the soft clink of Wheeljack's mask being placed on the table, reached blindly for a fork, and started eating.

Wheeljack was the only mech who visited him in prison. It was awkward. It seemed at first like Wheeljack was only doing it out of sense of obligation or some bizarre Autobot sentimentality. But eventually, Starscream began looking forward to the visits. Wheeljack too.

Later, he'd be the only one who offered a place for Starscream to stay after he was released. Starscream didn't want to accept at first. But the engineer's sincerity got to him. His genuine desire to help. What would Starscream have to gain by refusing his offer? His reputation? He didn't care about that anymore. And it wasn't like Wheeljack was giving him charity or anything. As soon as Starscream found a job (that accepted him), he paid a portion of the rent. And truth be told, he wanted the companionship.

Starscream knew that Wheeljack wanted it as well. The mech didn't like admitting it. But Starscream could tell by the way his tools and parts were strewn about the place, he could tell by the way Wheeljack stayed cooped up in his basement all day long with nobody knocking at the door. Wheeljack was just as lonely as he was.

Taking another bite of his meal, he could hear the sounds of creaking metal and ungodly slurps coming from Wheeljack's mouth. It had been weird, at first, being asked to eat with his eyes closed. But like, everything else, it had become another strangely regular thing in his life. Wheeljack was allowed his privacy. If the mech didn't want Starscream looking at his face, that was fine.

But Starscream remembered one thing, a conversation they had while they were both a touch overcharged one night.

_“I'unno, Star,” Wheeljack had said, his lisp even more pronounced than it usually was, “I ain't never been a looker, but my jaw… It's, uh, pretty revolting.”_

_The seeker snorted, lying down on the couch with his optics shut. “I'm sure I've seen worse.” He snorted. “Pit, I've prob'ly _been_ worse.”_

_“Fair, I guess,” Wheeljack said, “But still. Who'd wanna kiss this? It's got the texture of… 'f crumpled up aluminum foil!”_

__“Well, I wouldn't mind.”_ No, not that! Starscream swallowed his words. Instead, he thought for a moment and said, “If there's someone that likes you enough, it shouldn't be a problem.”_

_Wheeljack took another swig of his engex. “Hah. Yeah, _maybe_.” _

_There was a pause before he added, softly, “Wish it wasn't a problem to begin with, though.”_

That had been the end of that. But Starscream never stopped thinking about it.

He didn't know what to do, what to say. He wished that he wasn't so inept at expressing genuine emotion. Maybe then, he'd be able to help Wheeljack in some way, beyond being an occasional shoulder to vent on.

He would just have to keep brainstorming.

“Yeah,” Starscream said, swallowing his mouthful. “I know what you mean.”

**Author's Note:**

> and they were roommates! (oh my god they were roommates...)
> 
> i didn't have any time to write the fic i wanted to write for starjackweek (it was supposed to be an au where star is a decepticon scientist who's constantly being a thorn in shockwave's side instead of megatron's, and wheeljack's like. his science rival.) so take this as a placeholder.
> 
> title comes from [lemon demon - the only house that's not on fire (yet)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsUmFCosuU0), a song i heavily associate with these two for some weird reason.


End file.
